39 replies to this topic

[dosquito]

I ordered the Planetary Herbals 20% 225 mg bacopa extract. I was taking 4 a night with great results - perhaps the most noticeable of any supplement I've taken. I read that one possible side effect of bacopa is diarrhea, but that it spontaneously went away in each of the subjects in the study. However, this was not the case for me. In fact, it took me about 2 weeks to narrow down bacopa as the culprit. without going into too much detail, I was having horribly liquid movements around 3 times a day. I'm curious if you guys think it would be worth trying a different brand, or if bacopa just isn't for me

[Imagination]

when you say great results can you give more detail please? Where you taking all 4 caps at once?

Maybe lower the dosage, i've never had diarrhea from bacopa or great results although i've never had that high a dosage, i might give it a try if it gives a pronounced nootropic effect. Also what other supplements are you taking? Something else might be causing it.

[chrono]

Others have had some GI trouble with bacopa as well, but this sounds pretty severe. You could try a more selective extract; the effect could be coming from the plant material (the other 80%).

[brian101]

From bacopa I have experienced fatigue and nausea.

[dosquito]

it had an excellent effect on my long term memory, mild improvement on short term, and good for anxiety as well. I was taking 4 caps at once but for kicks I did 1 cap a few weeks ago and it wasn't as severe but it wasn't pretty. all problems stopped once I ceased taking bacopa so I dont think another supp is the problem, although I could see how it would have a doubly worse effect when combined with the mag malate I take at night

[The Likud Is Behind It]

Bacopa is one of my favorite herbs. Try another brand before giving it up. There are also syrups you can buy.

Your memory will impress you.

[health_nutty]

Bacopa is one of my favorite herbs. Try another brand before giving it up. There are also syrups you can buy.

Your memory will impress you.

How long did it take you before your memory improved?

[outsider]

Or switch to Gotu Kola, they both have similar effect on the mind. In ayurveda they have been used interchangeably for mind improvement. They both are called Brahmi. And Gotu Kola has the bonus of alleviating greatly arthritis and has a better overall life enhancement.

[The Likud Is Behind It]

How long did it take you before your memory improved?

The studies say that your memory keeps improving in a time and dose dependent manner for up to 12 weeks or more.

[The Likud Is Behind It]

Or switch to Gotu Kola, they both have similar effect on the mind. In ayurveda they have been used interchangeably for mind improvement. They both are called Brahmi. And Gotu Kola has the bonus of alleviating greatly arthritis and has a better overall life enhancement.

I also take Gotu Kola. It doesn't have the noticeable effect on memory that Bacopa does. It's still good. The studies also say that Gotu Kola increases levels of the body's main line antioxidants like SOD. There are also urine markers of brain cell degredation that are decreased when you take Gotu Kola.

[The Likud Is Behind It]

Crackpot hippie answer:

Bacopa is a spiritual herb in India. Simply because modern science has confirmed some of the effects of bacopa in the lab and we use it for memory doesn't detract from the fact that we have taken a spiritual herb and objectified it through a Western lens. Even if the spiritual claims cannot be objectively verified through measurement, and are therefore outside the domain of science, their original claim is that spirituality is nonetheless tangible. A Kundalini awakening is the violent destruction of the ego. It is psychologically and physically violent and precedes awakening. Consider using Bacopa for your spiritual awakening and to raise your level of consciousness while interpreting the diarrhea as a physical manifestation of your awakening. I'm sure it will pass.

Edited by bmud, 29 July 2010 - 05:11 PM.

[dosquito]

bmud -

It's incredibly interesting that you mention that, as I actually did have a kundalini awakening about a year ago...which is in my opinion the pinnacle of human experience. I'll give the bacopa another shot but I'm telling you that diarrhea was unbearable. I was getting depressed about it before I narrowed the cause down to the bacopa. I also really like this herb so probably I will try another brand too. any recommendations from the board?


edit: could it possibly be the dibasic calcium phosphate in this supp giving me diarrhea?

Edited by dosquito, 29 July 2010 - 05:41 PM.

[aLurker]

I had the same problem as you both with bulk Bacopa powder and Planetery Herbal pills, so it is most probably the Bacopa itself. It might have gotten a little better for me with time though, you could try a lower dosage and eating it at different times or different foods just to find something that works for you.

Bacopa was horrible for me though, gave me fatigue unlike nothing else, glad to see someone having some positive effects from it.

[thefreeaccount]

Bacopa gave me severe diarrhea and then massive GI inflammation and bleeding that was ultimately diagnosed as crohn's disease. I was severely anemic for a while; it took steroids and immunosupressants to get me back into shape. I'm sure I had crohn's before I took the bacopa, and taking it during a very stressful time (Christmas) probably didn't help, but I'd never had a flare-up of that magnitude before.

I guess the gods don't give away enlightenment without charging a price.

[dosquito]

Uh oh, my dad has crohns...if I recall correctly there is some hereditary risk there, right? do you think it's likely I had internal bleeding? Hmm, now that I think about it, I had GI issues for maybe up to 3 months that were pretty bad in retrospect. I was almost never hungry and had stomach pains. It was really miserable and makes me 10x more grateful that I don't have any chronic pain. I am pretty sure it was an ulcer from smoking way too much pot because it went away after I stopped smoking in about 2 weeks, although I was also taking acidophilus. but now that I think about it i bet I had a lot of internal bleeding. lately I have been taking iron once a week with positive results. I really should get full blood work done. what should I request?

Edited by dosquito, 29 July 2010 - 08:16 PM.

[thefreeaccount]

Uh oh, my dad has crohns...if I recall correctly there is some hereditary risk there, right?

Yes, but the risk is quite small - 5~10%, I believe.

do you think it's likely I had internal bleeding? Hmm, now that I think about it, I had GI issues for maybe up to 3 months that were pretty bad in retrospect.

If the bleeding is in the lower colon or rectum, you might see red/fresh blood in your stool. When bleeding from the small intestines, illeum, or upper colon, you can expect to see black, tarry stool. If the bleeding is in the esophagus or stomach, you might see black, tarry stool, or you might not notice anything unusual besides a waxy/tarry/shiny appearance.

I was almost never hungry and had stomach pains.

Yikes...that does sound bad. Did you loose a lot of weight?

I really should get full blood work done. what should I request?

For crohn's or IBD, you want inflammation markers - c-reactive protein (CRP) and SED rate. In stool, c.diff and a newer test called fecal calproctin, if it's available. There are other tests for genetic markers, but they aren't used often as they're expensive and less reliable than other diagnostic procedures.

You will only get a positive result from the blood or fecal tests if there is current, active inflammation.

Edited by thefreeaccount, 29 July 2010 - 09:19 PM.

[dosquito]

I did lose a bit of weight but somehow not that much...maybe because I am already skinny. I don't recall what my stools were like but I do remember not having satisfactory bowel movements. I don't have any symptoms now though. I can eat a lot and I'm grateful for it. having constant mild naseau and stomach pain, and no appetite, is really hell. it was a bad cycle because the worse it was the more pot I needed to smoke to eat at all. I was referring to overall blood work, like minerals, cholesterol, testosterone, vitamins, etc...do you think it would be helpful to get crohns-specific work done if I am symptom free?

[aLurker]

It is also worth noting that Bacopa might mess with your thyroid levels so those might be worth checking out just to make sure they are within the normal range. I guess this isn't directly related to you with your digestive problems but might be worth noting for others with Bacopa symptoms such as fatigue.

[thefreeaccount]

having constant mild naseau and stomach pain, and no appetite, is really hell. it was a bad cycle because the worse it was the more pot I needed to smoke to eat at all.

Yikes...glad to hear you're feeling better - take care of yourself bro.

I was referring to overall blood work, like minerals, cholesterol, testosterone, vitamins, etc...do you think it would be helpful to get crohns-specific work done if I am symptom free?

Nope - the tests will just show that you don't have any active inflammation. For vitamins etc, I'm not sure. B12 adsorption can be a big problem if you have a lot of scarring in your ileum from past inflammation, but if your B12 was low, you'd probably be suffering from fatigue etc and the anemia would probably show up in your normal CBC anyway. Couldn't hurt to get it tested if it worries you, though.

Edited by thefreeaccount, 30 July 2010 - 02:04 AM.

[dosquito]

thanks for the concern. all I can say is I really really hope it was an ulcer from weed cause I did some research on crohns today and it sounds really shitty. for what it's worth my dad was extremely sick and got part of his intestine removed about 10 years back. he has since subscribed to the "fringe" theory that crohns is caused by foreign bacteria from cows and similar animals and no longer eats any cheese/dairy/beef etc, and he has been fine since. If there are any sufferers out there maybe they should also research this theory

Edited by dosquito, 30 July 2010 - 02:29 AM.

[outsider]

bmud -

It's incredibly interesting that you mention that, as I actually did have a kundalini awakening about a year ago...which is in my opinion the pinnacle of human experience. I'll give the bacopa another shot but I'm telling you that diarrhea was unbearable. I was getting depressed about it before I narrowed the cause down to the bacopa. I also really like this herb so probably I will try another brand too. any recommendations from the board?


edit: could it possibly be the dibasic calcium phosphate in this supp giving me diarrhea?

I have kundalini awakening too since 5 years and I had diarrhea problem 3 months ago, the kundalini was rising and I had too much prana inside and detoxification going on and it went down the toilet once or twice a week and felt very good after each time.

But I added jatamansi and the problem just went away it made my nervous system much stronger, now the kundalini has risen to the top of my head and I'm experiencing cognitive improvement which is nice.

I'm taking bacopa amongst others but I might reduce it if diarrhea comes back.

I kinda know what ego destruction means after all these years but it brings a sense of freedom so it's all for good in the end. Thrust your life, nothing happens for nothing.

[Lufega]

I added Bacopa by planetary herbs and it also gave me crazy diarrhea.

[dosquito]

Have you tried another brand lufega? it sounds like something is fishy about planetary herbals

[Lufega]

I'm thinking the same thing, dosquito. Too bad.

[stablemind]

also had mad diarrhea from planetary herbals. I couldn't take it longer than 4 days... I couldn't figure out whether it was ashwagandha (Planetary herbals also) or bacopa

[dosquito]

If I recall correctly there is another member on here (in another thread) with complaints about the PH brand as well. Shall we organize an unofficial immortalist boycott of PH?

[aLurker]

I had some "digestive issues" (euphemism of the day) with both bulk Bacopa powder from 1fast400 and Planetery Herbals. This is also mentioned as a side effect in studies. The issue here is with Bacopa itself, not which brand you get. I didn't care that much about this side effect personally though although it might have gotten a little better with time, if anything it was worse with the bulk powder. The fatigue I got from Bacopa was horrid though and I didn't really get how bad it was until I quit.

[BlueCloud]

I also get a bit of diarrhea from bacopa, but as i'm usually constipated , it actualy helps ( i tried the brands AOR, Solaray, Supersmart). However i remember when i tried the Planetary Herbals, it really severely upset my stomach , to the point of having traces of blood in the stools. When i stopped it all went back to normal. I got also the same stomach/blood in stools problem when i tried their Schizandra Adrenal Formula. Something in the way they make their pills doesn't seem to suit my stomach...

[aLurker]

I also get a bit of diarrhea from bacopa, but as i'm usually constipated , it actualy helps ( i tried the brands AOR, Solaray, Supersmart). However i remember when i tried the Planetary Herbals, it really severely upset my stomach , to the point of having traces of blood in the stools. When i stopped it all went back to normal. I got also the same stomach/blood in stools problem when i tried their Schizandra Adrenal Formula. Something in the way they make their pills doesn't seem to suit my stomach...

You've tried more brands than most people. How are they in comparison to each other?

Edit: I mean in general: both effects and side effects.

Edited by aLurker, 08 December 2010 - 12:58 PM.

[dosquito]

very interesting. could it possibly be lead?